Spring-motor.



T. I.. SIMS.

SPRING MoToR.

l APPLICATION FILED )UNE I5. |911. 1,258,158.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Q 1 fa N N M R I w I M d, a

IIIIII attoznag Patented Mar. 5,1918.

T. 1. SIMS. sPmNG Momn. APPLlCATlON FILED JUNE I6. 1911.

Patented Mar. 5,1918..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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TAYLOR, J. SIMS, OF TEAGUE, TEXAS.

SPRING-Moron.

drive shaft, at the will of an operator, de-v pending upon the amount of driving energy which it is necessary to impartV to the shaft Another object of the invention is tov provide novel means whereby, -when one spring becomes exhausted, another spring may be coupled up with the vShaft to actuate the same.,

Another object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby the springs may be wound up either byV hand power, or from a prime mover.

Vith the above and other objects -in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of partsl and in the details of construction hereinafter' described and claimed, it being understood that' changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings l Figure 1 shows in to plan, a motor propelledvehicle embodying the present im.

provements;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental longitudinal section taken through the spring driving mechf' anism, parts appearing in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a section taken approximately on the line 3- 3 of Fig; 2; Y Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken approximately on the line H Of Fig. 2;

Fio'. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-.'5 of Fig. v y

Fig. 6 is a cross section taken through one of the latch mechanisms;

Fig. 7` is a ragmental side elevation showing a part` of the controlling mechanism;

mately on the line 8&8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail showing the connection for oneend of spring. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fig. 8 'is across sectionk takenV approxi-V the chassis of a vehicle, the same including a forward bar 2, and an intermediate baril.

The dashboard is shown at 3 and adjacent the forwardend yof the vehicle there is al Patented Mar. 5,1918. t Application flied June 16,1917.Y seriaiNo.175,1o7. Y

hood 5. The rear wheels are shown at,6

and the rear axle casing appears at 7, the numeral 8 denoting the dierential. p The numeral 9 marks the drive shaft whereby motion is transmitted to the rear wheels 6 as is common in automobiles. The numeral Y 10 denotes a. transmission mechanism of any desired kind including the Vusual clutch and its operating means 10a. i

Disposed beneath the hood 5 is an annular spring casing 11 connected with the, chassis 1 by means of brackets 12, the casing in- I Y cludin'g a` hub 14 having a recess 15 into. which projects a clutch element 16 carried by the hub 14. Mounted tomove endwise j on the shaft 9 is a sleeve 17 having a flange 18 operating in the recess 15. The vflange 'f 18 has a clutch element'19adapted to coactf with the clutch element 16 which constitutesv a part of the relatively liXed spring casing 11.: The sleeve 17 surrounds the shaft 19 and the shaft 19 is .journaled in thehub "14.

The sleeve 17 includes a disk20. The outer end of a coiled spring 21 is attached at 100 to the casing 11, andthe inner Vend of the spring 21 is secured at 22 to the disk 20 and Aso.

to the flange 18'which constitute a partlof 'I 'I the sleeve 17.` The disk 20 has a friction` facing 23.' Mounted to slide on the sleeve 17 -is a clutch member 24 -inc'ludi'nga diski 25 having a frictionfacing 26 coperating with the friction facing 23 of the disk 20.`

There is a recess 27 in; the rear end ofthe clutch member 24 and in this'recess'is located a compression spring 28. VThe fori ward end of the spring 28 abuts againstthe clutch member 24, and the rear end of the spring 28 engagesan abutment 29 on the rear end or" the sleeve 17, the abutment being in the-ormof a pair of superposed A clutch member 30 is' j'r nuts if desired.

mounted on the shaft-9 and is secured thereto by a set screw 31 or otherwise. There 1s j a bearing 33 on the forward bar 2, and the numeral '34 denotes a bearing-bracket supportedin any suitable manner from the rear of the bearing'. A shaft 35 is jourf.

naledxin the bearing 83 and'in thebracket on the shaft 9. The shaft 9 may also provided with a pulley 39.. A Y When the clutch 10a is thrown out, the

forward end of the shaft 9 may be rotated',AV

in order to wind up the spring 21, by hand, through a gear'train co-mprisingthe crank. 36, the shaft 35, the pinion 37 and the gear wheel 38, or the shaft 9 may be `rotated by power, for the purpose above specified, through the instrumentality of the pulley.- 39. Noting Fig. 3,' .it will be seen .thatwhen` the parts are arranged'as shown in the. said ligure, the'V spring 21 cannot loewound` up when the shaft 9 is rotated, ,providedthau as shown in the said figure, the clutchelments 19` and 16 i are interengaged, 'it' being recalled that the clutch element 16.isfa partv of the casing 11 andA that the casing'vllisv. iired to the chassis llby the brackets'12." If,I however, the sleeve 17Jbe movedto the left". in Fig. 3, until the clutch elements 16and :19).f are out of engagement; and untilthe clutch(y members 24 and 30 are in engagement, their, when the shaft 9 isrotated by the crank 36 or the pulley 29, the clutch member 3O'Iwilll be rotated, the clutch member 24 will iV be rotated and, through the instrumentality ofV the friction facings 23 and26, rotation' will'. be imparted to the disk 20 and consequentlyY to4 the. sleeve 17, thereby winding, up` the spring 21. The spring 28 presses the fric-` tion facings 26 and23 together Withlsuffi-y cient force so that the spring 21; can b`e. wound up when the shaft 9is rotated by the crank- A36 orl theV pulley 39,;and7blecause. the facings 23 and`26 are held togetherV as aforef` said, the spring 21 can reactV and drive the shaft .9 when the 'clutch members 24"*and 30` are interengaged. Noivwhenthe sleeve .17 is; shifted Zto the left, the clutch members-'30" and 24 must engagewith' each otherbeforef` the clutch. elements 19 'and`16 are disengaged with each other, since otherwise,v the spring;` 21 would'.` unwindwith'- a run before the'.4 clutch members 30.."and became'interengaged-but if the vehicle is'moving," and ifi the-shaft9 is rotating, and if theclutch ele.` ments 19andl6 are engaged for an instant` while vthe clutch members 24and 30 'are also engaged, something must yieldduringgthis instant, and the particular elements whichV VVdo in fact permit a momentary yielding to.

wheels f 1 ,i J Y p The means for "moving vt"the cltchi24" and;

the sleeve 17 together longitudinally of the shaft 9, vtoward and away from the clutch 30, Vwill now lbe described. The.' numeral 40 denotes a frame carriedVV byone of thev chassis bars 1. J ournaled for-" rocking movement in the frame 40.-(see1Figzj 8) is an upright shaft 41to which is secured adjustably, as" shown at 42a, a head 42 lhav-` ing lateral arms 43, Vthe movement ofthe` V shaft 41 being controlled by a spring-4T 75 coiled aroundaportion'of the shaft,"V one end n of the springbearing `against the framel40`;`V and the' other end ofthespring engaging@V one' ofthe arms 43.2' The' ar1n`s43havep'rol jections 44 received in a" circumscribingjjso groove 32 ,formed inthe'clutch"memher.24f Y Attached Lto' the upper end of 'the `shaftf41tis an armn45'1 which extends parallel1 tothe" shaft 91 The Varm 45" has a lateral1 out?V wardly extended projection 46. There is al bearing 48 onthe spring Icasing '11, iniwhiht an actuating member, preferably a ro'd .'49, is:A mountedV to slide endwise. A collarf-O'iis secured'adjustably by means'ofa set screwV v 51`to the rod'49 and .hasa' projection 52 co- 90 operatingV with the projection 46 on the armV 45,A the parts 46 and 52 being mutuallyinf' cli'ned, so as to tiltthe arm 45 and roclr the. shaft 41 readily, when the rod` 49 ,is adi" vancedformoved tothe r'ightlin Fig. 2;"A 95 spring 65 surrounds la partlof theiro'd 49 one end 'of the spring 65` engaging a suitable i abutment 66which maybe carried hythe frame offthe'vehicle'.V The other end of the spring 65 engages a. collar Z'onthe rodl49. 100 The collar 77is a duplicate ofthe collar''OV and; willfY be alluded. to hereinafter.` v The"V office of the spring 65 is to move the'rod49 rearwardlyv orrtiward/v the leftA in Fig. 2f The rear endiofthe rod 49" ispivoted'to'aylo link `53 which in its turn ispivoted toa leve-r 54 fulcrumed 'atl55'on oneof the chassi-sbfars 1. At' its upperv end, the lever 54carries a toe piece 56'( The.lever 54 Lincludes a casing V57 (see Fig; 5;)fcarryingan angularheel :Testi 110 58.' The casing y'fhas an internal pguide 59j?- in which a plunger 60is mounted" to recipro-V cate, the plunger passingtlirough the 'rean endof the casing 575and including a button`l 61 accessible to the heelof the operator when 115 the heelofvth'e operator issupported',onthe rest 58. Theforward end ofthe plungerg() is pivoted toa bell :crank leveri62lfulcrumed in the casing 57, vthe bell. crank lever'being Connected with a nach es sudati@ in OneStat/' of the .casing-.57 and adapted to coact withav rack' 64 which'mayjbesupported fromthe intermediate-bar41' portion'ofV tlieplun- Y ger '60 is surrounded :byja' .spring 6 7. which,1 coperating Vwith the guidi-iY 59""a'nd with auf: 125 abutment 68, .tends 'to slide the plungerjGU rearwardly." Y

Lett be ,fsuppgosedthat the [arts'.,arg@gar-1-v i heel ofthe'operator; benig* supportredeniteleoV i rest 58, advances the plunger 60 by means'of;

the button 61, the spring 67 serving to secure a return of the plunger 60'when pressure-on the button 61 is removed.VV When the plunger 60 is advanced iii the manner above described,"the bell crank lever 62 is tilted and the latch A63 is withdrawn out of engagement with the rack 64. The operator can ,now push the lever 54 forwardly at its upper` end,

rocked in the frame 40 and the arms 43,y

through the medium of the projections 44, move the clutch member 24 to the left (Fig. 3), thereby disengaging the clutch elements 19 and 16, and coupling up the clutch elements 24 and 30, inthe manner hereinbefore described. Vhenthe clutch elements 16 and 19 are disengaged, the spring 21 reacts on the shaft 9 to drive the ground Wheels 6, the driving train from the spring'21` to vthe shaft 9 including the connection 22, the disk 20, the flange 18, thesleeve 17, the clutch member 24 and the clutch member 30, it being observed that during this operation, thespring 28 holds the friction disks 26 and 23 together so thatthe disk 2O ofthe sleeve 17 and the disk 25 of the clutch member 24 rotate as one piece.` lVhen the clutch member moves to thev left also, the clutch parts 19 and 16 becoming disengaged, the clutch Y' members 24 and 30 becoming interengaged,

and the connecting pin 22 sliding endwiseV through the inner end of the spring 21.

The numerals 69, and 71 denote spring casings like the Vcasing 11, and thesercasings are provided withmechanisms duplicating those described hereinbefore in vdetail in connection with the casing 11. At. this point it may be noted that the casing 71 is provided with abearing-72 which, like the bearing 48constitutes a slidable mounting for the rodv 49, the rod 49 being splined at 73 into the bearing 72, so that the rod cannot rotate. The numerals 74, 75 and 7 6 indicate arms which are individual, respectively, to the casings 69, 70 and 71, and are constructed like the arm 45 on the upper end of the shaft .41 of Fig. 8 and hereinbefore described in detail in connection with the casing 11. The numerals 77, 78 and 79 indicate collars fixed adjustably tothe rodk 49, like the col'- lar 50,and individual, respectively, to the arms 74, 75 and 76. l

vThe numeral 80 vdenotes a shaft mounted for rocking.V movement in the fbearings 48l latches lhaving shoulders coperating with projections 86 in thevsockets, to limit the outward movement of the latches. One of the'arms 81 may beprovided, -as shown in Fig. 6, with a linger'87,`coperating with 'a projection 88 on the bearing 72, to limitthe rotation of the shaft 80 in one direction.Y

The upper endsof the latches 83 operate between the respectiveV arms 45, 74, 7 5and 76, andare adapted to be engaged in front of the said arms,'in a mannerwhich will beset j and 7 2. Secured to the shaft 80`are arms'81 provided with sockets 82.` In the sockets 82-f latches 83 are mounted for right line sliding movement, the latches being urged outwardly by springs 84 inY the sockets, theV forth hereinafter. ."An arm 89 projects inwardlyfrom the rear end of the shaft 80 and yis'connected by a link 90 to-a bell `crank91. (Fig. 4) fulcrumed on the standard92 car-.i ried by the dash board 3. Aplunger 93 isv pivotedto the bell crank 91'and slides in a` casing 94'carried by the dash board, `the plunger 93 havingan exposed end 95. The plunger 93 has circumscribing `seats 96 and 97 adapted to beengaged bya latch-'98V mounted in the casing 94 and advanced by a spring 99.

Suppose that its force as a means for driving the shaft 9. Then the vrod 49 is advanced by the lever 54 until the projection 52 on the collar 50 slides olf the projection 46 on the arm 45 and lies the spring 21 has exhausted in front ofthe arm. By this operation,theV i parts will be caused to resume the positions of Fig. 3, theclutch'members 30 and 24 ,be-` ing out of engagement, and the shaft 9 ro- 24 isslid to the left (Fig. 3), the sleeve 17 tating in the hub-14 and in the sleeve 17.

Vhen therod 49 is slid forwardly as aforev Y said, the'collar 77, coperating with the karm Y74, couples up thel spring inthe casing 69,

and this spring now drives Vthe, shaft 9.vv j

Similarly, the spring in the casing 70, and

the spring in the casing 71, one after another, may be made effective to drive the another, become exhausted.

Suppose, however,vthat the spring21 the casing -11 has not become exhausted, and

and while the end of the, projection 46 of.`

the arm 45 is engaged with thevendv of the projection 52 on the collar 50,'V the shaftj80 is rotated by meansof the ai'in 89, the link Vf90, the bell crank 91'and the plunger 93, the

plunger being retracted by means of its end 95, until the latch 98 engages in the seat 96.

By this operation, the latch 83 which" is in.

'11o shaft 9, as the springs at the rear, one aften dividual'to the arm 45 will coperate withV same inwardly, therebyY preventing 'thej arm from swingingy outwardly, and disengaging the outer edge of thesaid arm,fand hold the ating mechanism including an arm; mechanism under the control of an operator for swinging the arms one after another tov couple the springs to the shaft;V yieldably mounted latches individual to the arms, the latches yielding with respect to those arms which have not been swung by said mechanism under the control of an operator, and engaging positively with those latches which have been swung by said mechanism under the control of an operator; and mechanism for actuating all of the latches at once to move the latches into engagement with the arms.

6. A spring motor including a frame; a driven shaft journaled on the frame;

springs; means for fixing the outer ends' of the springs with respect to the frame;l

clutches uniting the inner Vends of the springs with the shaft; mechanisms for'V operating each clutch to couple the inner Copies of this patent may be obtained for t ends of thersprings to `the shaft, each clutch rocking movement with respect to the frame;

latches eccentrcally carried by the second Y shaftyand mechanism for supporting the ing with the arms to swing the arms one after another; a second shaft lsupported fory latches yieldingly, the latches being engageable positively with respect to thosearms which are `actuated* by the projectionsr on the rod, Vand being compressible with respect to theremaining arms.

In testimony that'I claim the foregoing: Y Y as my own, I have heretoy affixed my signature'gin the presence oftw-o Witnesses. l v Y TAYLOR J. SIMS.Y Witnesses: l j f J. C. DUNN,

L. C. ELY.

ve centsV each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

